Jeevan Xavier

Artist in residence 19/20 Goethe Institut Indien

Artist-Talk 20.12.2019  |  19h

Presentation 23.1.2020 KABINETT

Artist in residence 16.12. – 31.1.2020

Jeevan Xavier, JLX, is an entrepreneur, designer and artist based in Bangalore, with two decades of experience in the textile industry, and seven years of artistic practice. He’s a self taught and multi disciplinary artist. His subject matter has evolved from affects of his personal encounters with social conflicts. He takes the conflicts back to the people as a piece of work to trigger conversations. Contradictions in behaviour and its dynamics in human interaction intrigue him and inspire his practice of Art and Design. To sum up his artistic practice is a way of connecting with society at large. People and Folklore are other areas of interest – These two passions, coupled with his two-decade long industrial experience are visible in his work.

JLX’s artistic self-expression was triggered by participating in notably two workshops during a summer in the UK – One on colour drawing and abstraction with the artist Tricia Gilman. Followed by Rod Judson’s creative problem-solving workshop (2005). JLX is trained in Textile and Fashion Design and started his career in the Home Textile industry in 1999. He has since worked with two major textile companies in India in senior positions leading teams of designer, artists and technicians; creating home textile products for international brands.

Currently he manages a Textile – Design – Art – Research studio in Bangalore – JLX Studio. Under this eponymous brand, the studio engages in documentation and research in areas of folklore and vernacular culture in Southern India; alongside commercial design projects. He is currently pursuing the Creative and Cultural Business Program at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, to back his entrepreneurial values.

During his residency at Zentralwerk, Dresden, he will be exploring artwork – focusing on how an individual’s ideological differences play out in daily life between partners, family members, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

The residence of Jeevan at Zentralwerk Dresden is supported by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, India